People, Power, and Politics

State regulators have approved additional gas supply rate reductions, and customers will see lower costs beginning on March 1 and lasting until May 1. The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities announced Tuesday its approval of rate reductions for Eversource Gas of Massachusetts and Boston Gas Company, doing business as National Grid, gas customers. "On average, the decreases will result in a monthly bill decrease of about 10 percent for a typical residential heating customer. Eversource serves approximately 300,000 customers, and National Grid serves approximately 950,000 customers," the DPU said.

TOWN OF FRANKLIN

Tues. Mar. 7

Arts & Culture Listening Tour - Session 1

5:00pm to 7:00pm

School Comm. Redistricting Adv. Comm. agenda

6:00pm

Community Preservation Committee Meeting

7:00pm

Weds. Mar 8

Joint Budget Subcommittee Meeting

7:00pm

Thurs, Mar 9

Open Space and Recreation Plan Meeting

6:00pm to 7:00pm

Conservation Commission Meeting

7:00pm

STATE HOUSE AND BEYOND

Starting Tuesday, lawmakers have opportunities over several weeks to poke holes in Gov. Maura Healey's $55.5 billion budget, although the new governor's arrival corresponds with virtual budget nirvana on Beacon Hill. The state is already basking in record reserves and Healey is using a turbo-charged state revenue base and big projected MassHealth savings to finance one of the most generous spending plans in years while also delivering nearly $1 billion in tax relief. The budget is built on a nominal 4.4 percent increase in tax revenues but that figure does not adequately account for major expansion to the revenue foundation that occurred since the last round of annual budgeting and which, along with a new income surtax, is now enabling Healey to propose eye-popping spending increases. The House gets the first crack at reworking Healey's budget and its leader, Speaker Ron Mariano, is among a dwindling group of lawmakers who have experienced the tough decisions of slashing spending during lean budget years, the last of which occurred at the outset of former Gov. Charlie Baker's first term around the middle of the last decade. While Healey and Senate President Karen Spilka have continue to talk about tax relief, Mariano's enthusiasm for that idea has waned since the House and Senate retreated last summer from their targeted tax relief plan once legislative leaders realized that the state had collected so much money that they had to give $3 billion back to taxpayers in according with a state tax cap law. The annual budget hearings will command attention from legislators in the runup to House budget debate in April, but lawmakers are likely to wrap up work on a supplemental budget before then. Senators are gearing up to take action on the bill the House passed this week that includes nearly $600 million in bond authorizations and critical funding for emergency shelters, food aid and school meals. The Senate has a formal session planned for Thursday but branch leaders didn't indicate Friday what bill or bills they plan to tackle then. Healey's team disclosed this week that it's working on yet another supplemental budget as well. As hearing season slowly builds, another time-sensitive topic -- local road and bridge funding -- is up for discussion Tuesday before the Joint Committee on Transportation. And last year's legislative efforts to legalize sports betting take on a new dimension in the week ahead. For good or ill, Massachusetts, which not long ago was on guard against the perils that could come with casino gambling, drives deeper down the gaming road with the launch of mobile sports betting.

Sunday, March 5, 2023

WU ON 4: Boston Mayor Wu talks with Jon Keller about crime, rent control, and the upcoming 10th anniversary of the Marathon bombing. (Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV Ch. 4)

CARNEVALE ON 5: State Republican Party Chair Amy Carnevale is the guest on "On The Record," talking about her plans for the party since winning the leadership post in January, her thoughts on the current state of the national GOP, and her take on Gov. Healey's first couple months in office. Roundtable discussion features analysts Mary Anne Marsh and Rob Gray. (Sunday, 11 a.m., WCVB-TV Ch. 5)

CULTURAL COUNCIL GRANTS: The Newton Cultural Alliance hosts a celebration for local artists and organizations that benefitted from Mass Cultural Council's $51 million in cultural sector grants. The grant money came from the $4 billion in pandemic relief funds the state received from the federal government, and went to over 5,200 artists and cultural institutions statewide. Sen. Creem is scheduled to attend. (Sunday, 2 p.m., 35 Webster St., West Newton)

Monday, March 6, 2023

SJC SITS IN BOSTON: Supreme Judicial Court meets with five cases on the docket. Two cases deal with the timing of wrongful death lawsuits against tobacco companies Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds, and two others concern confidential informant laws. (Monday, 9 a.m., John Adams Courthouse, Room 1, Boston | Court Calendar | Livestream)

SALEM TRIAL: Trial resumes against two defendants charged with the July 4, 2020, murder of 35-year-old Noe Hernandez of Lynn. The case is prosecuted by the office of new Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker, a former state representative. (Monday, 9 a.m., Salem Superior Court, Courtroom J)

LAWRENCE TRIAL: Trial begins in the case of Martin Rodriguez, charged with the November 2017 first-degree murder of Jose Burgos, 53, of Lawrence. The case is prosecuted by the office of new Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker, a former state representative. (Monday, 9 a.m., Lawrence Superior Court)

MIDDLE-INCOME SENIOR DEVELOPMENT: Brighton-based development company 2Life Communities breaks ground on its first property for middle-income seniors, Opus Newton. Lt. Gov. Driscoll, Congressman Auchincloss, Sen. Creem, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, MassDevelopment President/CEO Dan Rivera, 2Life Communities President/CEO Amy Schectman, and JCC Greater Boston President/CEO Lily Rabinoff-Goldman are scheduled to attend. (Monday, 9:30 a.m., Outside of Coleman House, 677 Winchester St., Newton | Ceremony to take place at JCC Greater Boston auditorium, 33 Nahanton St., Newton)

FORMER REP. MALIA HONORED: Women's Bar Association honors former Rep. Liz Malia of Boston, who retired in January, as its 2023 Public Official of the Year at its annual legislative breakfast. Four other lawmakers are scheduled to speak on legislative priorities: Rep. Livingstone on his bill "relative to employment protections for victims of abusive behavior" (HD 3239 / SD 2005), Rep. Tyler on prison phone calls (SD 1441), Rep. Fluker Oakley on "salary range transparency" (HD 2814 / SD 1521), and Sen. Robyn Kennedy on her "perspective of a new legislator and how she advocates for a just society" along with Sen. DiDomenico's bill "to lift kids out of deep poverty" (SD 501 / HD 507). Women's Bar Association President Kristy Lavigne presents Malia with her award honoring "her 24 years of distinguished service." (Monday, 10 a.m., Great Hall)

GRANBY COLD CASE BREAKTHROUGH: Northwestern DA Sullivan holds press conference with First Assistant DA Steven Gagne and Granby Police Chief Kevin O'Grady to "announce a major breakthrough" in the unsolved 1978 "Granby Girl" homicide case. (Monday, 10:30 a.m., Granby Police Station, 259A East State St., Granby)

HOUSE AND SENATE: House and Senate start the week with informal sessions. (Monday, 11 a.m., House and Senate chambers | House Livestream | Senate Livestream)

UMASS WORKERS PROTEST: Workers at UMass Amherst protest against the school's administration. About 100 workers may lose state benefits and pensions if their positions are eliminated and recreated within the private UMass Amherst Foundation, according to the two unions representing the workers. The Professional Staff Union and University Staff Union claim UMass administrators hope to privatize the workers' jobs to "avoid public oversight." The university sent a letter to the Massachusetts State Retirement Board stating their intention to privatize the jobs after administrators "abruptly broke off negotiations with the unions," a press release from the unions says. The university's letter to the retirement board says they must reorganize the staff for "legal compliance purposes." "We are stunned by what we have seen by our employer," said Leslie Marsland, president of the University Staff Association. "Our members have been given false and misleading information, making them think that their state retirement benefits were in jeopardy unless their jobs could be transferred from the university to a private employer." The PSU and USA filed unfair labor practice charges against UMass Amherst on Feb. 28 at the state's Department of Labor Relations for "bargaining in bad faith, retaliation and anti-union activity." They plan to stand out and gather petition signatures on Monday. In a statement to the News Service, a spokesperson for UMass Amherst said there are legal compliance issues with the university's staff structure that if unaddressed could impact employees' eligibility in the state retirement system. "From the outset, the University has been consistent in its communications with USA and PSU that this process is solely driven by legal and regulatory compliance requirements. The University became aware of the issue as a result of another pension matter and immediately began a review to determine whether UMass employees would be impacted. The unions have also acknowledged that certain positions were non-compliant. As communicated by the Massachusetts State Retirement Board (MSRB) in an email that was shared with the unions, having non-compliant positions 'could jeopardize the individuals' retirement benefits as well as the entire pension system.'" (Monday, 12:45 p.m., outside the Whitmore Building, UMass Amherst Campus)

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT TRUST FUND: Economic Empowerment Trust Fund Board of Trustees meets, with Treasurer Goldberg as chair. Agenda includes reports on the BabySteps program, National Association of State Treasurers Financial Wellness Grant and "financial wellness for MA state employees and retirees," and updates on Baby Bonds, "Operation Money Wise" financial education grants, and a partnership with Massachusetts libraries. Contact (617) 367-9333 Ext. 613, rose.m.costa@tre.state.ma.us, or (781) 320-2000 for access information. (Monday, 1 p.m. | Full Agenda)

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Massachusetts High Technology Council looks at the "transformative power of artificial intelligence and its impact on the future of work and our economy" in its latest MassVision2050 webinar, cohosted with McKinsey & Company and MITRE. Panel discussions look at "The Big Picture: Artificial Intelligence Today & Tomorrow" and "The Local Picture: Artificial Intelligence and the Massachusetts Economy," with speakers like Onto Innovation CEO Michael Plisinski, Raytheon Technologies associate director of research and AI discipline lead Kishore Reddy, and professor Holly Yanco, director of UMass Lowell's New England Robotics Validation and Experimentation (NERVE) Center. (Monday, 3 p.m. | Registration)

CLEAN WATER TRUST ANNUAL MEETING: Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust holds its annual meeting, featuring election and appointment of some officers including Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz as vice chair. Treasurer Goldberg chairs the meeting, which is expected to recess for the board's Audit Committee to hold a separate meeting. After the break, the full board will consider fiscal 2022 audit results, along with votes on grants including Avon, Haverhill, the Lanesborough Fire and Water District, and the Lynn Water and Sewer Commission. Board is also due to vote on a $12.9 million Clean Water Loan/Local Government Obligation and Financing Agreement for Barnstable. (Monday, 3:15 p.m., Microsoft Teams - Meeting ID: 245 788 661 468, Passcode: MLxfvk | Or, dial (857) 327-9245, Passcode 245239189# | Full Agenda)

NEWTON WOMEN VOTERS: Sen. Creem shares her legislative priorities at Newton's League of Women Voters virtual meeting. (Monday, 7 p.m. | Access)

BRIGHAM & WOMEN'S AT CARDIOLOGY CONFERENCE: American College of Cardiology wraps up a three-day conference in New Orleans, where experts from Brigham & Women's Hospital will present findings from their clinical trials and research about "nudges" to increase uptake of flu vaccines, residual inflammatory risk and virtual care for patients with heart failure. (Monday)

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

LIFE SCIENCES IN CENTRAL MASS.: Massachusetts Biotechnology Council CEO Kendalle Burlin O'Connell headlines a "Central Mass. Life Sciences Forum" hosted by MASSterList, the State House News Service, and the Worcester Business Journal. Two panel discussions zero in on the advantages of Central Mass. as a place for doing business in the life sciences sector, and on the real estate situation in the middle of the state. Panelists include former MassBIO head Robert Coughlin, who is now managing director of life sciences at JLL; Bill Aitchison, senior vice president and head of global manufacturing at WuXi Biologics; UMass Chan Medical School's executive vice chancellor for innovation and business development, Parth Chakrabarti; Marlborough Economic Development Corp executive director Meredith Harris; and Bowditch partner Joshua Lee Smith. "While the epicenter of the industry cluster remains in Kendall Square, the state's strategy calls for the expansion of lab and manufacturing space throughout the state, with the potential for significant growth in Central MA. ... The advantages for companies to expand in Central Massachusetts are significant, including lower cost of land and facilities and access to more affordable housing for employees," organizers wrote. (Tuesday, 7:30 a.m., DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester | Tickets)

ZERO CARBON RENOVATION FUND: Zero Carbon Renovation Fund Coalition hosts a brunch-and-bubbles policy briefing. Advocates say their legislation proposing a $300 million fund would "jumpstart the market for zero carbon renovations in existing buildings in Massachusetts, with the goal of having this fund administered by MassCEC." Visual displays at the briefing include solar panels, a ventilation system, and a section of wall showing how a deep energy retrofit can improve a building envelope. Legislation has been filed by Sen. Gomez (SD 500) and Rep. Vargas (HD 776). Coalition's membership includes more than 150 organizations and companies like the Environmental League of Massachusetts, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, 350 Mass, Boston Housing Authority, St. Francis House, WinnCompanies, B'nai B'rith Housing, Capstone Communities LLC, and Asian American Civic Association. The "bubbles" part of the briefing will be sparkling cider and orange juice. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Room 428)

THE ARC RECEPTION: The Arc of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council hosts their 45th annual legislative reception. Sen. Michael Barrett and Rep. Christine Barber will receive "Legislator of the Year" awards from the Arc and MDDC. Several hundred people with disabilities, their families and industry professionals are expected to attend, as well as several elected officials. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., The Great Hall)

STATE OF ALZHEIMER'S: Sen. Lewis and Rep. Gregoire speak as part of a virtual Alzheimer's Association briefing on "the state of Alzheimer's in Massachusetts" and the organization's 2023-2024 legislative agenda. (Tuesday, 11 a.m. | Zoom Registration)

FIRST FISCAL 2024 BUDGET HEARING: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means holds its first hearing on Gov. Maura Healey's proposed fiscal year 2024 budget proposal. The hearing will cover the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security, the Inspector General's Office and constitutional offices. The gathering will be a chance for Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz to make his case for Gov. Maura Healey's vision of state spending and tax relief, and senators will also have the opportunity to probe areas where they might differ, or prefer alternative approaches. Auditor Diana DiZoglio will also testify. This is the first of eight budget hearings that will take place over the next month and into early April, before the House files its version of the fiscal year 2024 budget. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., Gardner Auditorium)

"STUDENTS SPEAK" BRIEFING: Harvard Law School Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative holds a legislative briefing where secondary school students will discuss "what they need in order to do well in school" and the importance of funding safe and supportive schools. Reps. Balser and Garlick and Sens. DiDomenico and Lewis host. (Tuesday, 11:30 a.m., Room A-2)

UBER, LYFT DRIVERS RALLY ON BEACON HILL: Drivers for ride-hailing platforms Uber and Lyft gather in support of legislation (HD 2071 / SD 1162) that would guarantee them access to a minimum wage, paid sick time, unemployment insurance, discrimination protection and collective bargaining rights. Union leaders at 32BJ SEIU and the International Association of Machinists are backing the bill, and debate will unfold as the companies weigh whether to launch another ballot question campaign dealing with worker classification and benefits after the courts derailed their effort last year. Bill sponsors Rep. F. Moran and Sens. Miranda and Lewis will join drivers and union organizers. (Tuesday, 12 p.m., State House steps)

ROAD, BRIDGE FUNDING HEARING: Joint Committee on Transportation convenes its first public hearing of the 2023-2024 term to consider Gov. Healey's road and bridge funding legislation (H 52). Healey's bill calls for $400 million in bonding for the Chapter 90 program over a two-year period, marking a departure from the typical one-year authorizations but not from its common funding level of $200 million per year. The Massachusetts Municipal Association for years has called for state government to make $300 million per year available for city and town road and bridge maintenance and to approve multi-year authorizations so local leaders can plan projects more in advance. (Tuesday, 2 p.m., Room A-2 and Virtual | Agenda and Access Info)

BOSTON RIVER STREET BRIDGE MEETING: MassDOT hosts a virtual public meeting to discuss the River Street Bridge, which is currently closed, over Amtrak and MBTA tracks in Boston's Hyde Park. (Tuesday, 6 p.m., More Info)

ALEWIFE PARKWAY SUPERSTRUCTURE MEETING: MassDOT hosts a virtual public meeting to present an overview of a project to replace the "bridge superstructure" that carries Alewife Brook Parkway over the MBTA Red Line tunnel. (Tuesday, 6 p.m., More Info)

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

PUBLIC HEALTH COUNCIL: The Public Health Council meets. The council will hear updates from Commissioner Margaret Cooke, then plans to vote on whether to promote two regulations related to the registration of sanitarians and certified health officers. They will also hear a presentation updating councilors on the Office of Problem Gambling Services. (Wednesday, 9 a.m. | Access)

SJC SITS IN BOSTON: Supreme Judicial Court meets with five cases on the docket, including one that asks how the COVID-19 state of emergency affected the statute of limitations in an employment discrimination dispute. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., John Adams Courthouse, Room 1, Boston | Court Calendar | Livestream)

MASSDOT FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE: Department of Transportation Board of Directors Finance and Audit Committee meets virtually. (Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: Senate President Karen Spilka joins an International Women's Day celebration hosted by State Street for a discussion on "Embracing Equity." (Wednesday, 10 a.m., 1 Lincoln Street, Boston. Closed press.)

GAMING REGS: Mass. Gaming Commission is expected to meet to finalize a regulation that governs involuntary exclusion from sports wagering. A commission lawyer said the topic would need to be addressed on Wednesday so the regulation can be in place for the Friday launch of mobile betting. The commission could also vote to accept mobile betting platforms' house rules and might hear from Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office on its thinking relative to sports betting advertising regulations. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., More Info TBA)

GUN VIOLENCE PANEL: Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan hosts a virtual expert witness panel to discuss gun violence prevention, school safety and intervention. The discussion will center around the role that schools, parents, law enforcement and legislators can play in preventing gun violence, according to her office. (Wednesday, 10 a.m. | Register)
ANTI-HATE TASK FORCE: Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan hosts a meeting of her Anti-Hate Anti-Bias Task Force to discuss the continuing rise of hate crimes in the U.S. (Wednesday, 10 a.m. | Contact Sarah.Lamson@mass.gov for information.)

OBESITY TREATMENT EQUITY: Massachusetts Coalition for Action on Obesity hosts a webinar to discuss health equity in treating obesity. Speakers include Obesity Action Coalition President and CEO Joseph Nadglowski; Angela Fitch, chief medical officer of knownwell; and Guthrie Medical Group director of bariatric medicine Verlyn Warrington. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Register)

HUMANA RATE HEARING: Division of Insurance holds public hearing on Humana Benefit Plan of Illinois, Inc.'s request for approval of proposed rates for a Medicare Supplement Insurance Core Plan to be sold in Massachusetts. People wishing to testify must submit "Notice of Intent to Comment" by March 3 at 5 p.m. to doidocket.mailbox@mass.gov. People "requesting solely to attend" the virtual hearing must submit a request by March 6 at 5 p.m. to the same address. Those communications must include name, telephone number, and email address, and refer to DOI Docket No. R2023-01. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., Microsoft Teams)

MUNI FINANCE OVERSIGHT: Municipal Finance Oversight Board meets. Auditor Diana DiZoglio will chair the meeting. The board is scheduled to take up a Chapter 44B request for $73 million in state qualified bonds for Fitchburg and long-range municipal fiscal stability. (Wednesday, 11 a.m. | Conference call number: (872) 240-3212, Access code: 228-999-245)

MATAHARI 20TH ANNIVERSARY: Matahari Women Workers' Center celebrates its 20th anniversary at a brewpub party cohosted by Lamplighter Brewing at Lamplighter's Cambridge Crossing location. Party features early-2000s music, games, and Lamplighter and Matahari's "collab beer," the "Rise Up" Witbier. (Wednesday, 6 p.m., 110 North First St., Cambridge | Tickets)

NAHANT TALKS HOUSING: Nahant Housing Production Plan and Metropolitan Area Planning Council host a public forum to discuss the town's housing needs and ways it can comply with a new MBTA zoning law requiring T communities to zone for multi-family housing near transit. (Wednesday, 7 p.m., Nahant Town Hall, 334 Nahant Road, Nahant | Register)

Thursday, March 9, 2023

MARCH FOR CHANGE: March of Dimes, a nonprofit that works to improve maternal and infant health, meets with lawmakers as part of the organization's annual March For Change to advocate for better health care for mothers and children. The nonprofit is asking for lawmakers to increase access to private health insurance and public health coverage, as well as to expand programs that provide services like Medicaid Postpartum Extension and access to midwives and doulas. Massachusetts received a B- for its preterm birth rate of 9 percent in the latest March of Dimes Report Card, which measures the state of maternal and infant health in the U.S. (Thursday, 9 a.m., State House)

HEALTH CONNECTOR BOARD: The Massachusetts Health Connector Board meets. The Connector is preparing for a flood of new enrollees as Massachusetts residents who qualified for Medicaid under expanded COVID-19 provisions lose their MassHealth coverage. The board is preparing for up to 200,000 new members. Gov. Maura Healey's fiscal year 2024 budget projects a $1.9 billion decrease in state spending on MassHealth from last year driven by forecasted caseload decline as people no longer qualify for the program, and will have to transition to employer-sponsored insurance or insurance purchased through the Health Connector. "We know what we're facing right now this spring with redetermination, we know the work that we need to do," Healey said. She added, "I think those numbers reflect our best educated estimate of what is necessary and appropriate to meet this moment and the needs of folks who have been accessing MassHealth." The Health Connector is opening a special enrollment period from April through November for those who lost MassHealth coverage to make the transition "as smooth as possible." The huge health insurance transition for so many people looms as one of the first major challenges for Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh. (Thursday, 9 a.m. | YouTube Livestream)

MBTA AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE: MBTA Board of Directors Audit and Finance Subcommittee meets virtually. (Thursday, 9 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

"WHEEL OF LUCK" REGS: State Lottery Commission holds public hearing on proposed regulatory amendments that would formally "terminate" the unsuccessful All Or Nothing game and reflect its successor, the new roulette-style Wheel Of Luck game that launched on Jan. 19. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Dial (972) 301-8269, Conference ID 687061386#)

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION: The MA Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence hosts an advocacy day. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Room 428.)

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION BRIEFING: The Children's Trust hosts a legislative briefing to educate policymakers about child abuse prevention and the role that family support programming can play. Speakers include Children's Trust Executive Director Jennifer Valenzuela, Children's Trust Director of Home Visiting Steven Pascal, and Andree Gonzalez, a participant in the Healthy Families Massachusetts program. (Thursday, 10 a.m., House Member's Lounge)

MBTA WORKFORCE COMMITTEE: MBTA Board of Directors Planning, Workforce, Development and Compensation Subcommittee meets virtually. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

GAMING COMMISSION: A day before mobile betting is expected to go live, the Mass. Gaming Commission meets and is expected to vote to issue certificates of operation for at least the seven mobile betting platforms that plan to launch Friday. (Thursday, 10 a.m., More Info TBA)

MBTA SAFETY COMMITTEE: MBTA Board of Directors Safety, Health and Environment Subcommittee meets virtually. (Thursday, 11 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

SENATE: The Senate plans to meet in a formal session. (Thursday, 11 a.m., Senate Chamber)

HOUSE: House plans to hold an informal session. (Thursday, 11 a.m., House Chamber)

OUTDOOR ADVERTISING MEETING: MassDOT holds a virtual public hearing to provide an opportunity for public feedback and questions on recent outdoor advertising applications. (Thursday, 11 a.m., More Info)

SUPPLIER DIVERSITY: Liberty Mutual's assistant vice president and director for supplier diversity, Erika Gibson, is the featured speaker in the latest installment of Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce's "Pacesetters Doing Business" virtual series. The Pacesetters programs "are an opportunity for minority business enterprises (MBEs) to hear directly from procurement officers at participating Pacesetters companies and learn about their supplier diversity initiatives," the chamber says. (Thursday, 3 p.m. | Registration)

O'DiDOMENICO ST. PATRICK'S DAY: Sen. Sal DiDomenico, who for this occasion styles himself as Sen. O'DiDomenico, hosts his annual pol-studded celebration of St. Patrick's Day. In a month filled with a fair bit of Irish-themed craic, DiDomenico's event usually kicks off the season of political jokes and roasts. Scheduled attendees include Gov. Healey, Lt. Gov. Driscoll, AG Campbell, Senate President Spilka, Boston Mayor Wu, Middlesex County DA Ryan, and Suffolk County DA Hayden. Full Irish dinner included along with Irish music, bagpipers, comedians, and "special performance" by The Platters. Tickets $35 per person or $300 per table. (Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Knights of Columbus Council #62, 545 Medford St., Charlestown | More Info)

BASILIERE BRIDGE MEETING: MassDOT hosts a public meeting to present the design for a replacement of the Private First Class Ralph T. Basiliere Bridge, which carries Bridge Street over the Merrimack River and the abandoned B&M Railroad in Haverhill. (Thursday, 6:30 p.m., UMass Lowell Innovation Center, 2 Merrimack St., Haverhill | More Info)

BROADWAY SAFETY MEETING: MassDOT hosts a public hearing to discuss proposed safety improvements and related work on Broadway between Williams Street and City Hall Avenue in Chelsea. (Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Williams Middle School, 180 Walnut St., Chelsea | More Info)

Friday, March 10, 2023

SJC SITS IN BOSTON: Supreme Judicial Court meets with three cases on the docket, all first-degree murder appeals. (Friday, 9 a.m., John Adams Courthouse, Room 1, Boston | Court Calendar | Livestream)

MOBILE SPORTS BETTING: Gambling expands in a big way Friday as the Mass. Gaming Commission allows mobile sports betting companies to begin accepting wagers in time for the NCAA basketball tournament. Since casino-style gambling was legalized here in 2011, people have had to physically go somewhere to gamble. But that will no longer be the case as bettors gain access to sportsbooks on their smartphones and laptops, allowing them to bet on sports nearly everywhere in Massachusetts (tribal lands are blocked off) and as far as three miles off the Bay State's coast. The mobile betting operators expected to launch Friday are Barstool Sportsbook (Penn Sports Interactive), BetMGM, Betr, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel and WynnBET. BallyBet and Fanatics are expected to launch in May and Betway is planning to wait a year until it begins taking wagers in Massachusetts. Those mobile options will join in-person betting operations at Plainridge Park Casino, MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor to round out the initial sports betting universe in Massachusetts. In other states, mobile betting has accounted for between 85 and 95 percent of all wagering activity, the Gaming Commission was told. (Friday, 10 a.m.)

CHICOPEE IRISH FLAG-RAISING: Chicopee Mayor Vieau holds Irish flag-raising ceremony to celebrate the republic's culture and heritage. (Friday, 10 a.m., City Hall, 17 Springfield St., Chicopee)

NEW JOBS DATA: Labor officials release preliminary Massachusetts unemployment rate and jobs data for January 2023 as well as revised data for 2022. Massachusetts crept closer to achieving a full pre-pandemic level of employment in December when employers added 6,300 jobs and the statewide unemployment rate ticked down to 3.3 percent. (Friday)

CANNABIS CONVENTION: The New England Cannabis Convention meets. The convention is expected to feature over 300 exhibitors, 100 industry speakers, awards, professional workshops and vendor training. (Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m., Hynes Convention Center, Boston)